Forgotten
by Fanfic Allergy
Summary: Life hasn't been kind to Gale Hawthorne, but when his best friend is taken by the Capitol he has to find a way to step up with the help of an unlikely ally. (Side Story 2 of the "Parts We Play" Universe)
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** The Hunger Games Trilogy is property of Suzanne Collins. This is a parody fanwork by fans for fans. No money was made off of the creation of this fanwork.

**Note:** This is Gale's side story which takes place in the same universe and runs concurrently to my story "Spectator." You will likely want to read that fic first since I will be making reference to the events that take place in it. This chapter takes place after the some of the events in Chapter Seventeen. This story will be updated biweekly on Tuesdays. There may be times when I won't totally adhere to this schedule, it will depend on where the main fic is in its storyline. But even if I miss a week, my update day will still remain a Tuesday.

**Forgotten**

_By Fanfic Allergy_

**oOo**

**Chapter One**

There's a knock at my door and I wonder who it is, no one ever really comes to visit around this time. All of my mother's clients stop by in the morning before work to keep their clean clothes clean for long as possible here in the Seam. No point picking up clean clothes after a day in the mines, they'd just be as bad off as they were before my mother laundered them.

So it's not one of my mother's clients and I'm pretty sure it's not a Peacekeeper, I haven't gotten caught poaching or scavenging. That limits who it could be. I'd be lying to myself if I said that I didn't hope it was Catnip.

Katniss. She's Katniss now.

My little brother, Rory, gets the door and calls for me. My heart leaps and I walk to the door hoping that I'll see that familiar black braid and slender form.

I don't.

It's Madge Undersee, the Mayor's daughter. She's shifting nervously from foot to foot and glancing over her shoulder every so often. I wonder what's up and invite her inside and close the door behind her.

She eyes Rory nervously and I shoo him from the room. Not that we're going to get much in the way of privacy. It's a small house and the walls are paper thin. Such is life in the Seam and there isn't much I can do about it.

"What are you doing here, Undersee?" I ask, my tone isn't all that inviting. Her family is a good customer but she's Katniss's friend, not mine. I'll tolerate the merchant girl for Katniss's sake, not because I like her company.

"Peacekeepers came and took Katniss," she says in a low tone, almost a whisper.

"What!" I roar. "When?"

She makes little shushing motions with her hands. "Not so loud!" she hisses. "Somebody will hear!"

"Tell me everything," I grind out.

"Peacekeepers came and took Katniss and her mom to go to the Capitol for the family interviews." She pauses. "They took the Mellarks too."

I'm confused. That isn't what happens in the Games. The few times someone from District Twelve has made it into the final eight, they've sent a wide-eyed reporter with more makeup and tattoos than Effie Trinket. The reporter interviews as few people as possible and then goes back to the Capitol. The last time a District Twelve tribute made the top eight, four years ago, the Capitol reporters were here for less than an hour. So I cannot fathom why they'd change the way things are done now and I say so. "They've never done that before!" I splutter. "There's got to be some other reason for this."

Madge just looks at me, willing me to make the connections she obviously already has.

I think it through again. What about this year is different? First there's the competing love stories and now the rule change. Then it comes to me. Hostages. Katniss, Mrs. Everdeen, the Mellarks are all being taken to the Capitol as hostages and bargaining chips for their tributes' good behavior.

It makes me sick.

"What am I supposed to do?" I ask myself. I wish I could fly off to her rescue like the heroes my father used to tell me about when I was little.

Madge apparently thinks the question is directed at her. "Katniss asked me to take care of Prim's goat and cat."

"You?" I scoff. "You don't know a thing about taking care of animals. Why would she ask you and not me?"

The Mayor's daughter rolls her eyes and reaches up to smack me on the back of the head. "Use your head, Gale! She didn't want to get your family involved in case something goes wrong. I'm as safe as anyone can be in District Twelve because of who my father is. She was looking out for you, you dumb oaf!"

"Hey! I'm not dumb!" I'm actually more surprised that she's standing up to me. I'm twice her size. "So Katniss wants me to look out for her place and Prim's animals? Fine. I'll have Rory and Vick help me. Is that all?" I'm not comfortable having her in my house.

"No," she answers.

"Then what?" I ask, running a hand through my hair.

"I want your help." She gives me a determined look. "Katniss is gone, right?"

I cross my arms. "So you've just told me."

"Don't be snide," she snaps. "That means she's not going to be able to stock up for the winter like she planned. And with her mother gone too, they don't have an income coming in. Not to mention what will happen if Prim dies."

She doesn't have to mention what will happen. I remember when I first met Katniss after our fathers died in that mine explosion. She was little more than skin and bones topped by a messy braid. She's filled out a lot more since those lean days, but she's not more than a few steps from starvation. None of us in the Seam are very far from that hell.

If Prim dies, everything Katniss has fought and struggled for will be lost and she'd likely join her mother in a depressive spiral. She won't have the energy or will to hunt and without her hunting and gathering, she and my baby she's carrying will die.

"So what do you have in mind?" I ask. It's clear that the merchant girl has a plan or she wouldn't be pussyfooting around the subject.

"I want to help Katniss stock up," she says.

"What's that got to do with me?" I ask. "You weren't there, but she doesn't want my help. She's made that crystal clear."

She snorts. "That was before the Capitol knocked on her door. Get with the times, Gale. I don't think that she planned on being gone for the rest of the Games. I'm not asking you to do everything, just help me out a little. Show me what plants are okay to eat. Maybe even teach me how to set snares. That way, it's not you who's actually helping her out."

"She'll know I was involved. No offense, Undersee, but you don't know jack about surviving in the woods."

"I can learn," she says with a shrug. "Besides, I'll tell her it was my idea. That will get you off the hook."

I consider it. It's not a bad plan as far as plans go. Technically, I'd be helping Madge. What she does with what she manages to find or catch isn't up to me. "Fine, but you follow every order I give you to the letter. Got it, Undersee?"

"I've got it. Now, are you going to show me how to take care of Prim's goat or not? The cat, I think I can handle. We used to have a cat when I was little," she explains before I can ask.

"We've got it," I tell her. We don't need the help of a merchant kid. She'd just be in the way.

"Are you normally this thick, Gale, or has the stress of becoming a father addled your brains," she says, rolling her eyes again. "I told you the Peacekeepers took her. One was with her when she came to see me. The woman probably knows why Katniss visited me and that Peacekeeper is still here. Even if she doesn't report that to her superiors, which is doubtful, she still knows that Katniss asked me to take care of her goat. What do you think would happen if she goes to check up on the Everdeen house and finds you or your brothers there?"

I follow her train of thought to its logical and frightening conclusion. The Peacekeepers would think we were thieves. The punishment for theft is death. Even if we could convince the Peacekeepers we weren't stealing anything we'd still face flogging or worse just for 'breaking and entering.' Madge is right. She has to be there when we take care of the animals otherwise Rory, Vick, or me could end up dangling from the hangman's noose. "Fine, you've made your point. I suppose you'll want the milk too," I say snidely.

"Only if you don't have any plans for it," she answers, not batting an eyelash at my tone. "I was going to have my maid teach me how to make cheese from it so that I could either sell it for her or store it for later."

I'm immediately chastened and I remember all of the effort she went through to try to raise money for Prim's sponsor gift. I'm angry that she's having to lead me to conclusions I should have thought through. She's right, I'm not acting like I should be and haven't ever since the night Katniss and I made love. It's only gotten worse since I found out Katniss was pregnant. It's like a switch just got flicked in my head that I need to protect and provide for my family and Katniss and our unborn baby are a part of my family.

I'm angry that the Mayor's daughter is able to read and understand my best friend better than me. I should have realized from the moment that Madge told me that the Peacekeepers had come for Katniss that the rules had changed.

I'm not giving this slim, blond girl enough credit. She's not like the other merchant girls I know.

She's better.

**oOo**

**AN:**

Written: 7/15/13

Revised: 11/26/13

Beta Read by RoseFyre

Hi! If you are new to this story and really confused I suggest you go hit up my profile and check out my fic "Spectator." If you don't want to do that, here's a brief summary to date.

Katniss is pregnant with Gale's child and because of that the whole Hunger Games universe is changing. For instance, Prim took out tesserae to help feed her family, so her name was in the Reaping bowl four times. That change meant that it was Katniss who was Reaped initially and Prim who volunteered to take her pregnant sister's place. Also because of Katniss's pregnancy she's become closer to Madge and more distant to Gale. Basically they've fought and have irreconcilable differences of opinions about how things should go. You'll get more about that later. As in the Original Timeline, the rules changed to allow two tributes to come home from the same district. Not because of Katniss/Peeta although Peeta is still playing that angle to get Prim home, but because of Cato and Clove. Immediately after the announcement, Katniss and her mother, along with the Mellarks, were escorted to the Capitol. Ostensibly to give their interviews someplace nice. The reality is a lot more sinister.

There, you should be up to date.

Madge is also going to be portrayed a little differently here than in my main fic. Remember who the POV character is. And not everyone acts the same around each person. We all adapt to the person we are communicating with.

I hope you enjoy!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: The Hunger Games Trilogy is property of Suzanne Collins. This is a parody fanwork by fans for fans. No money was made off of the creation of this fanwork.

Note: This is Gale's side story which takes place in the same universe and runs concurrently to my story "Spectator." You will likely want to read that fic first since I will be making reference to the events that take place in it. This chapter takes place after the some of the events in Chapter Seventeen. This story will be updated biweekly on Tuesdays. There may be times when I won't totally adhere to this schedule, it will depend on where the main fic is in its storyline. But even if I miss a week, my update day will still remain a Tuesday.

**Forgotten**

_By Fanfic Allergy_

**oOo**

**Chapter Two**

The next morning I meet Madge at her house. It's early and the sun is barely up, but if I'm going to teach her how to the survive in the woods and set snares we need to get a move on.

She's awake, which surprises me, and ready and waiting for me, wearing what are obviously her grungiest clothes. They're still nicer than most of my clothing, and I feel a twinge of anger run through me at the class differences between us.

The merchant girl just regards me solemnly and shakes her head. "Let's go, Gale. You're just going to have to deal with me and my merchant self." There must be an expression on my face that's giving away my feelings for her to be able to tell what I'm thinking so easily. She starts off toward the Meadow and the fence beyond without me.

I chase after her and pull up alongside of the slim girl. "I'm sorry," I say.

She looks over at me and raises her eyebrows. "Do you mean that? Or are you just paying lip-service?"

"Lip-service?" I haven't heard the term before and I'm not sure I like it.

"Saying what you're supposed to say even though you don't mean it," she explains. "Because if you are, don't bother apologizing. It won't change anything."

So she wants to know if I'm telling the truth. I suppose I can't really blame her, considering our relationship to date. If it weren't for Katniss, we'd never actually interact other than when I come to her house to sell strawberries.

"I am sorry," I repeat. "It's just I don't have much use for merchants."

It's clear from the expression on her face that she's not impressed with my reason because she counters, "Unless you want their money. That's really all we are to you, someone to trade with."

She's right, that's really the only interaction I have with anyone from the merchant class. I shrug. "They're the ones who have money. Other than the Peacekeepers," I point out. "Who else would I trade with?"

That skeptical look deepens. "What about that place Katniss goes to?"

"You mean the Hob?"

She nods. "Yeah."

"That's more of a barter system. There isn't much coin to be made there," I explain. "And most of what's there is second or third hand and there are some things you really don't want to buy second or third hand."

"Ah, that makes sense," Madge says, her tone less hard. "You'll have to take me there some time. I'm sure there's going to be stuff we'll need to preserve all of the food we're going to get Katniss." All of the anger seems to drain out of her, and it surprises me. She's not like Katniss who if you rile her up stays riled for days, it's another thing I'm not used to.

"So sure are you that you're going to get enough that we're going to need supplies?"

She smiles at me. "Yep! You're going to teach me, aren't you?"

I take the words as the peace offering I know they are. "I'm not going to promise to be nice to you."

"I didn't ask you to be nice to me. And I wouldn't believe you if you were." She looks off in the distance. "I get enough of that as it is. I'd rather you were honest with your dislike than try to pretend to like me just because of who I am."

Understanding hits me, she doesn't have any real friends other than Katniss just people she hangs out with because she has to. "Right. Because of your dad." I give her a sympathetic look.

She nods. "Right." Madge changes the subject. "So what are we going to start with today?"

"We're going to set several snares and then from there set some nets in the stream."

"Is that hard?" she wants to know.

I shrug. "It depends on how fast you catch on. Fishing is easier, but fish isn't as filling and it doesn't keep as well. That's why I prefer snares."

We get to the fence and go through it. When we're on the other side she asks me, "That can't be all we're doing today. I mean, the fish and the game aren't going to just run into your traps as soon as you set them."

Her words spark a memory and I throw back my head and laugh. "Sometimes they do. When I was about fifteen, I'd just set a few snares and was heading off to meet Katniss at our place when I heard some horrible ruckus from where I'd set my second to last snare. It was a rabbit and I'd scared it right into my trap."

She laughs with me. "I stand corrected. Still, that can't be all you have planned."

"It isn't," I answer with a small quirk of my lips.

"So what else is on the menu, literally?"

I smile at her pun and shake my head. "You'll see. Come on. I'm going to teach you how to set a deadfall trap first."

We work on setting a variety of snares and traps for the first two hours of the morning and I teach her how to differentiate a rabbit trail from a deer trail. I don't think she can tell the difference yet, but she's got a good eye and is able to spot broken vegetation from an animal passing better than Rory can now or I could when I first started and it's only her second time outside the fence. She's got the makings of being a good tracker.

But where she is good with her eye, she is almost hopeless with her hands. I can see that Madge is having trouble with the wire and various knots I use but she doesn't complain. Even when the wire snaps back and jabs her in the leg for the fifth time. Finally, I give up and teach her the simplest snare I know, a basic slip knot set in the middle of a game trail. It's not as good as some of the other traps I set, since it doesn't always kill the animal. But it's easy.

She gives me a grateful smile and sets about ten of them around a small slow moving pool along the stream. When she's done, Madge stands up and brushes her hands off on her pants. "So now what?"

I check the sky and see that it's about mid-morning. Time to move on. "It's too late to do any fishing. How do you feel about picking berries?"

"Strawberries?" she asks, her eyes lighting up.

I shake my head. "The field's pretty picked clean. We should wait a few days for the berries to ripen. I was thinking about getting blackberries."

She nods and I lead her to the rocky overhang that used to be Katniss's and my old place. I feel a little twinge in my heart when we get there but I tell myself to get over it. I show Madge how to pick the berries correctly, with the centers still in them. She gets the hang of it quickly and I move down to a different set of brambles. I look up, expecting to catch her sneaking a few berries to find her looking at me with an unfathomable expression on her face.

"What?" I ask, unable to keep the defensive snarl out of my voice.

"This was your place, wasn't it?" she asks bluntly. "Yours and Katniss's."

"So?" I challenge, refusing to answer her question.

"It bothers you, having me here."

I snort. "Get over yourself, Undersee. You're not that important."

She shrugs. "I know. So do you think once we've picked the berries we should go back to Katniss's place and take care of that goat and cat of her sister's? I haven't been yet today and the goat probably needs to be fed and milked."

I nod. It's better than what I had planned, gathering greens. And it will give me an excuse to get away from the annoying merchant girl.

We both go back to picking until we've each filled our bag with berries. On a hunch, I check my traps to see if we've caught anything in the few hours we've been out.

Nothing.

Madge seems disappointed. "Maybe we should switch to fishing when we come out later. Katniss always seemed to be able to catch fish."

"I don't have any nets," I point out.

Madge rolls her eyes. "Katniss does. And she's not using them right now."

I'm not sure that's a good idea and I tell Madge so.

The girl just smiles at me. "Gale, do you really think Katniss will mind if we use them to help her stock up for the winter?"

When she says it like that, I feel kind of stupid. It's just so engrained in me that I'm the snare hunter that I don't want to change that. It's who I am. It's what I'm good at.

We head to Katniss's house and go inside, leaving the front door open. Madge puts the berries on the counter and roots around to find food for Buttercup. There's some leftovers from the night before and she picks the meat out to give to the cat.

"Do you want the rest of this?" she asks. "It isn't going to keep until Katniss gets back."

I nod and grab the milking bucket and go out to see to Lady. The goat greets me with a little bleat and I pet her head affectionately. She's a good goat and I check her food to make sure she has enough. It's a little low but enough to get her through the night. I vow to have Vick and Rory take her out to the Meadow with them tomorrow when they go there to pick greens for our family to eat.

When I go back inside, I see a female Peacekeeper in the doorway talking with Madge. The girl seems comfortable and certain and I clear my throat to get their attention. "Is there anything wrong?" I ask.

Madge shakes her head. "No, I was just telling Peacekeeper Gneiss here that I had hired some help to make sure that the Everdeens' animals were taken care of." She turns back to the white-uniformed woman. "That's Gale Hawthorne, one of the help I was telling you about. I feel responsible, you know, for making sure that my friend's animals are well taken care of and really what do I know about taking care of animals? And since the Hawthornes lost their main earner in a mine explosion a few years ago I try to do what I can to help them out. You know what I mean?" her voice is almost haughty and nothing like the girl who's been teasing me all morning.

It raises my hackles to hear her talk of my family like we're a charity case and I bite my tongue to keep from snapping at her.

The mayor's daughter ignores my rising anger and continues talking to the Peacekeeper. "As you can see, he's already seeing to the goat. So I trust it won't be a problem if they come by without me here. I've got other things to do and they know they won't get paid if I don't get proof that the animals have been taken care of."

"What kind of proof?" the Peacekeeper wants to know.

"The milk of course. I'm sure you've heard of my mother's headaches. Sometimes warm goat milk is all she can stand to drink when she's in a bad way. It's how Katniss and I got to know each other, don't you know?"

I know for a fact that the last statement is a lie. Katniss never has traded milk to the Mayor, but when I see the Peacekeeper nod I finally catch on to what the merchant girl is doing.

Madge is spinning a plausible lie for me and my family to be in Katniss's house without Madge being there. She's telling the Peacekeeper what the woman wants to hear and spinning it in such a way that keeps Katniss's and my illegal activities out of it. Again, I've underestimated her.

It's beginning to become a habit. One I need to grow out of.

The Peacekeeper leaves and I close the door. "You left the door open deliberately, didn't you?"

She smiles at me. "I figured that this would happen sooner or later. Better to deal with it sooner. That way, we don't have to waste time hanging around here when we could be elsewhere."

"Outside the fence, you mean?"

"You said it." She looks at the pail. "Is that it? Can we go?"

I nod. "You still want the milk?" I ask, pouring the white liquid into a glass jar.

"Yeah. I think Rachel has a recipe for making cheese for it. If not, I can always sell it in town."

Thinking of the snares that we have out in the woods, I ask. "When do you want to go back out?" It's only early afternoon and the sun doesn't set until eight this time of year. Mandatory Viewing is at seven, but I normally eat during that so I don't feel like I'm wasting time.

She considers it. "Supper's at six-thirty and I should be home before that to get cleaned up. So want to say meet at four at the fence?"

I nod. It's good enough for me.

**oOo**

**AN:**

Written: 11/20/13  
Revised: 12/10/13  
Beta read by: RoseFyre

So if any of you are aware of what point this is in my story you know that Gale is going to get a huge shock soon. But before I get there, and I will, I wanted to show what Madge and Gale are doing so I can skip it in favor of the more interesting stuff that's going to be happening with Gale and Madge.

There will be no pairings here. Gale is not over Katniss, as you can imagine. And as Madge said in Chapter Thirteen, Gale isn't her type, nor is she Gale's. Don't worry, I have plans for them both. Or maybe you should worry, this is Panem after all.

I look forward to seeing what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: The Hunger Games Trilogy is property of Suzanne Collins. This is a parody fanwork by fans for fans. No money was made off of the creation of this fanwork.

Note: This is Gale's side story which takes place in the same universe and runs concurrently to my story "Spectator." You will likely want to read that fic first since I will be making reference to the events that take place in it. This chapter takes place after the some of the events in Chapter Seventeen. This story will be updated biweekly on Tuesdays. There may be times when I won't totally adhere to this schedule, it will depend on where the main fic is in its storyline. But even if I miss a week, my update day will still remain a Tuesday.

**Forgotten**

_By Fanfic Allergy_

**oOo**

**Chapter Three**

As much as part of me wants to, I avoid turning on the Games. It's hard enough to watch Mandatory Viewing every day, let alone entire hours of the thing. I don't know how Katniss managed to do it.

Instead, I spend the time out in the Meadow with Rory, Vick and Posy. We gather enough greens for lunch and dinner and I pick some extra stuff to drop off in Lady's pen before going home to get my hunting gear so I can meet Madge.

She's watching for me and nods her head in greeting before slipping under the fence. She lets me take the lead but I can feel her eyes on me as we walk though the underbrush.

"What do you want?" I ask, turning around to face her, when I've had enough of the staring.

"I was just wondering what you did this afternoon," she replies slowly. "I'm guessing you weren't watching the Games."

"No, as a matter of fact, I wasn't. I normally don't watch the Games unless I have to." I'm letting my annoyance at the whole situation out on her.

For her part, she just shrugs. "It's probably for the best anyway."

Now she has me curious as well as annoyed. "Why do you say that?"

She gives me an odd look and crosses her arms. "Give me your word you won't do anything stupid."

My annoyance grows. "What makes you think I'm going to do something stupid?"

"Your word or I'm not saying another thing." She remains firm.

"Define doing something stupid first," I counter.

She nods her head. "Fair enough. No running around town making a fool of yourself, no angry outbursts where anyone can hear, and definitely no contradicting publically anything I say. You can yell at me all you want out here in the woods, but once we're back in town you follow my lead. Got it?"

"Yeah, I got it. I'm not sure I can do it, though." I'm trying to be honest with her as well as myself. I'm not sure how I'm going to react to anything. I definitely didn't intend to confront Katniss the night of the tribute interviews. It just happened. One moment I was at home watching Mandatory Viewing, the next an incoherent protective rage came over me. It always does when someone I care about is threatened.

Madge is insistent. "You have to, Gale. Katniss's life depends on it."

An icicle of fear pierces through me. "What's happened?" I ask slowly, trying to calm my heart, which has suddenly started beating a thousand beats a second.

"Promise me, Gale."

Seeing that I won't get the answer out of her until I promise, I take a deep breath and say, "Okay, I promise I won't do anything stupid at least in town," I hedge.

"I'm going to hold you to that," she warns me. Then she finds a fallen log and motions for me to sit down on it. "You might want to be seated for this."

"Okay." I'm getting even more nervous, if that's possible.

"So you know how the Everdeens and the Mellarks were taken to the Capitol to do the interviews?" she starts.

I roll my eyes. "Yeah, you're the one who told me."

"Well, the interviews started today. Mrs. Everdeen was up first and her interview went okay. But then they got to Peeta's oldest brother, Bing." Here her voice changes slightly and I'm not sure why. "Bing talked about how Peeta was a talented artist and then he mentioned that there were sketches that Effie Trinket had that they would show later. I think I know what they are. And I think I know what the Capitol is going to make of them. But that's not all. Mr. Mellark told Caesar Flickerman about how Peeta's been slipping these specially decorated cookies into the bread Katniss trades for, and apparently he's been doing it for four years now."

I must be missing the point, none of this seems like anything for me to get upset over. "So? What's that got to do with keeping Katniss safe or me getting mad?"

Madge sits down heavily next to me and says, "Don't you see, Gale? They're going to make it out that the baby Katniss is carrying is Peeta's."

My confusion turns to rage in an instant just like it did on the night of the tribute interviews. "Katniss would never let them do that!" I start to get to my feet.

But Madge stops me with a hand on my arm. "Please, Gale, you have to understand, she may not have a choice. If she has to choose between your pride and her sister's life, what do you think she's going to choose?"

I sit back down heavily and look down at the ground, a scowl on my face. I want to say she'd do the right thing and tell the truth. I want to say she wouldn't let the Capitol or anyone else tell her what to do. I want to say that. But I can't. Because I know what she'll do. She'll lie or at least refrain from telling the truth, which is the same as a lie. She'll do it to save her sister, because Prim means more to her than anything else in the world and she'll do anything to make sure her sister lives. And what's even worse is I can't blame her.

I want to blame her. I want her to acknowledge that the child she's carrying is mine. I want her to admit she has some feeling for me. But that's not going to happen. In the end, as much as I want to cast the blame on her I know she's just as much of a victim as me in all of this. And I know that if I were in her shoes, I'd do the same thing to save Rory, Vick or Posy.

I just don't see how anyone with sense could think that Peeta Mellark could possibly be the father of Katniss's baby. She's never hung out with him, to my knowledge. Never even talked with him. No one could possibly think that they'd interacted enough to ever have a serious conversation, let alone a strong enough of a relationship that would lead to a baby.

No, Madge can't be right. She must be seeing things that aren't there. Looking up from my shoes, I turn my head to regard the merchant girl sitting next to me. "You're wrong. No one's stupid enough to believe it."

Madge rolls her eyes at me. "This is the Capitol we're talking about. The same people who think that the districts want to send two of their kids off to die every year. They are, by definition, stupid."

I shake my head. "They can't be that gullible."

"Of course they can! People see what they want to see and they'll use the flimsiest of excuses to justify their beliefs." She sighs. "I hope you're right, Gale. I really do. Not just for your sake, but for Katniss's." She stands up and brushes her pants off. "We should probably get a move on."

I nod, even though I don't really want to go anywhere I know I've got an obligation. "We should. You're still wrong though."

She regards me seriously. "And what if I'm not? What are you going to do?"

What am I going to do? I don't know.

The Mayor's daughter must be able to read that in my expression because she gives another sigh. "Why don't we watch Mandatory Viewing at the Everdeens' tonight? I'll bring some food and we can say we're taking care of the place. That way if you have the urge to do something stupid, you can do it without any witnesses, and I'll be there to stop you."

"What about you?" I ask.

She looks confused. "What about me?"

"Don't you count as a witness?"

She smiles. "I'm not going to say anything to anyone else, not even Katniss. I promise."

"Fine. But you're going to be wrong," I insist stubbornly. There's no way anyone with eyes could make that connection.

She shrugs and heads off in the direction of where we set our snares, leaving me to decide if I want to follow her or not.

I don't, but I follow her anyway because I don't want her death on my conscience.

**oOo**

The snares don't net us very much. Out of Madge's ten snares, she only managed to catch a single, frightened rabbit, its leg dislocated from the struggle to pull itself free of the snare. A quick knife thrust to the brain ends the creature's pain.

I look over to see how the Mayor's daughter handled the realities of hunting and trapping in the woods and I see what I expected to see. Horror. Her blue eyes are open wide and I can see tears forming at the corners.

"Not what you expected, is it?" I ask, unable to keep the sneer from my face.

She shakes her head. "The poor rabbit..." She glares at me. "Why did you teach me that snare? I know there are others that don't leave the animal struggling for hours in pain." Her voice is accusatory and she's taken a step toward me. "Do you like to watch things suffer? Is that why you did it? Did you want to make me so uncomfortable that I would give up on trying to learn what it's like out here that I'd stop trying to help my friend? Is that what you wanted?"

Madge's anger surprises me. I admit I'm not happy having her tagging along with me, but I didn't teach her that snare to be cruel. It's the simplest snare I know. The one that all new trappers start out learning. And I tell her so. "I didn't think about it like that. I just showed you the first snare my Pa taught me." I think about it for a moment. "Maybe that's the reason we learn it first, so that we value what it means to have to take a life in order to eat. So many people don't know what it's like to kill for their food that they take it for granted." I give her an assessing look. "I bet you don't look at rabbit stew the same way now, do you?"

Her eyes narrow, but I can see she's thinking seriously about what I said. "No, I don't. But I still don't like the idea of animals suffering. I'll take the extra time to learn the more difficult knots if it means I don't have to see that again."

I nod. "I'll teach you. But I can't guarantee you won't be forced to take the life of an animal again. Things go wrong all the time in the woods and I won't always be there to give the killing thrust. You'd best remember that."

She nods.

My snares fare better, two rabbits and a turkey. I field dress the turkey and show Madge how to do the same for the rabbits. She's clumsy and keeps making faces at the mess that comes out, but she doesn't throw up and she doesn't start crying which raises my estimation of her a little.

When we're done she asks, "So how do we go about preserving these?"

"We don't," I answer. "We're better off selling them or trading them for other things we need if we don't eat them right away. They're too small to preserve unless we got a lot of them at once."

She nods her head. "So now what?"

"I take the rabbits home to feed my family and we'll trade the turkey and rabbit pelts in town."

"Not the Hob?" she wants to know.

"Old Cray pays better than the hob for turkey. And the furrier will always take good rabbit pelts to trim coats and make hats," I reply. "He won't trade with Katniss, for some reason, but he'll trade with me."

Madge frowns for a moment. "I think I know why."

"Why?"

"His daughter hates the Everdeens," she answers.

I'm confused. "What'd they ever do to her?"

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing," she replies. Then she looks up at me. "You might want to stop trading with Cray soon."

"Why?" I ask. "He's always been a good customer."

She nods. "Yeah, but he's been here for about five years. They don't like to keep any Peacekeepers deployed any one place for longer than that. It makes them homesick or rebellious or both. They're probably going to replace him soon."

"So they'll just move up someone else into his place. That woman you talked to earlier or another Peacekeeper."

Madge shakes her head. "No, they don't do that. It'll be someone new. That's how it works."

"How do you know this?" I can't keep from asking.

Smiling, she gives me a look. "Whose daughter am I?"

That's right. She's the Mayor's daughter, she'd know about how the government works. "Like I'd forget," I say to cover my forgetfulness.

The look changes to something a little sadder and for the life of me, I can't figure out why.

**oOo**

**AN:**

Written: 11/21/13  
Revised: 12/12/13  
Beta Read by: RoseFyre

Yes, I'm stopping here. The next chapter takes place during Mandatory Viewing and is going to be a doozy for Gale. The chapters are going to be between 2000 and 3000 words unlike Spectator which has chapters as long as I want them to be.

On the subject of Cray, I tend to think, that just like army deployments, Peacekeepers don't get to be stationed in any one District for too long. Too long and they'll start to care for the population that they're supposed to be subjugating. Just look at what happened with Darius in Catching Fire and what that cost him. So since Cray's been there for a long time, according to Katniss, it's time for him to retire and move on and I will be playing with this.

The descriptions I give of how snares and trapping works is accurate. In fact, for some kinds of traps, you want the animal to stay alive so that they don't attract scavengers. Yeah. Not a happy thought and one that Collins kind of glossed over and the movie got wrong. I sort of goggled when they showed Katniss unhooking a rabbit with a slipknot snare around its leg. That kind of snare wouldn't kill an animal unless it starved to death, it had a heart attack from fear/exertion, or was killed in some other way, if you take into consideration the scene that preceded it then Katniss killing the animal becomes, well, a lot less plausible (and there's no blood.) Slipknot snares are fine, if they're set up to choke the animal or break the animal's neck. Minor rant over. So considering that Madge is new to the hunting and trapping world I wanted to cover what it's like to actually have to put down an animal for someone who's never had to before. It isn't easy, and it shouldn't be. It gives a respect for life and for where your food comes from. Something that I think would be important for Gale and his family to learn and something he'd try to pass on without really thinking about it.

Let me know what you think!


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: The Hunger Games Trilogy is property of Suzanne Collins. This is a parody fanwork by fans for fans. No money was made off of the creation of this fanwork._

_Note: This is Gale's side story which takes place in the same universe and runs concurrently to my story "Spectator." You will likely want to read that fic first since I will be making reference to the events that take place in it. This chapter takes place after the some of the events in Chapter Twenty of "Spectator." This story will be updated biweekly on Tuesdays. There may be times when I won't totally adhere to this schedule, it will depend on where the main fic is in its storyline. But even if I miss a week, my update day will still remain a Tuesday. _

* * *

**Forgotten**

**_By Fanfic Allergy_**

**oOo**

**Chapter Four**

We meet at the Everdeen house about ten minutes before the start of Mandatory Viewing. Madge is holding a cloth bag that is filled with who knows what.

"What's in the bag?" I ask in lieu of salutation.

She calls me out on my rudeness, "You really are impatient. Not even a 'hello' out of you. Just 'what's in the bag?' Sheesh! I know your mother trained you better than that." Her tone tells me that she's teasing me again so I don't take offense.

"Fine," I say, smiling at her. "Hello. What's in the bag? Happy now?"

"Yes," she answers with a nod. Opening the door to the Everdeens' house, she says, "I'll show you inside."

I follow her into the house and light the lantern on the kitchen table.

Madge puts her bag down and pulls a whole slew of items. There's a large paper bag full of salt and another of sugar. There's a glass jug of vinegar and another one of what looks to be the white liquor Ripper sells at the Hob. But that's just silly, I haven't taken Madge to the Hob yet and as far as I know none of the merchants in town sell the stuff. Finally she pulls out three plastic containers with food in them and utensils to eat with. Two of the containers she slides over to me, the other she keeps back for herself.

"What's all this?" I ask.

"What's it look like?" she counters.

I shrug. "My mom does most of the cooking. Rory helps her. She says I've earned it since I'm the man of the house and have to provide for all of them."

Madge looks at me, an expression of incredulousness on her face. "You don't cook?"

I can feel my defenses start to come up. "Is that a problem?"

She shakes her head. "No, not really. I'm just surprised, that's all. I would have thought you could do everything."

"Hey! I can cook, I just don't."

She lets it drop. "Anyway. I brought you some dinner and both of us some dessert since I figured you were missing dinner by being here."

"And the rest of this?" I ask.

"Pickling supplies," she answers with a shrug. "Seems to make more sense for us to do most of the preserving here rather than cart what we find into town."

When she says it that way, it makes sense.

I don't get a lot more time to say anything more, because the Everdeens old television sputters to life and Mandatory Viewing begins. Old Claudius Templesmith appears by himself. He smiles and makes some chirpy hellos, but without Caesar there to play off of his delivery falls flat. He goes through the recap without piddling himself in excitement of what is to follow. The recaps today are shorter than they've been in previous days despite the deaths that occurred early this morning.

I admit it, I watched some of the Games on the big screen in the middle of the square while on my way to trade the turkey to Cray. I was happy to see that three more tributes were out of the Games, especially the two from One, but I was still anxious because the announcers kept hyping up the special interviews and unbelievable revelations that were going to happen tonight. It made me think that Madge's guess might be right. And I really don't want her to be right.

Now with Claudius almost bouncing in his seat with anticipation, the dread grows.

Madge reaches over and gives my hand a sympathetic squeeze.

I look up at her in surprise.

She shrugs and opens one of the containers of food to reveal a small square nestled within.

"What's that?" I ask, turning away from them showing a recap of the boy from Three's death.

"Bread pudding," she answers. "You have some too and some pot roast."

I open the two containers in front of me to see that she's correct. I'm not that hungry, but I start to eat anyway. The food is filling but bland. Which surprises me. I expected the Mayor to eat better than this.

I'm about to start on the bread pudding when the recaps finish. Claudius announces that now it's time for the part of the show we've all been waiting for, the interviews! They start with the boy from Two's family and I look over at Madge in surprise.

"They're going in order by district for Mandatory Viewing, I think."

"But it's going to take all night!" I explode. "I don't want to be stuck here for that long!"

"What do you want me to do about that?" she asks me quietly.

"I don't know!"

"Why don't you see to Lady?" she suggests. "I'll call you when they get to Twelve."

She's offering me an escape and I take it.

I go out into Lady's pen and feed her some greens Rory had brought over earlier. To pass time, I milk her. When I bring in the pail with the milk, I note that they've moved on to the boy from Eleven's family.

"They're only showing the good parts," Madge tells me, looking up from the screen. "I saw the boy from Ten's family's interview earlier in the day and it was about five times as long as what they showed tonight."

"So how long do you think it will be until they get to Katniss's interview?"

She shrugs. "Maybe a half an hour? Caesar mentioned they're saving the best for last and I'm pretty sure that's her."

"I'll be outside until then."

She doesn't try to stop me, which I'm grateful for. I go out into the Everdeens' garden and in the light of the setting sun do my best to weed it. There aren't a lot of vegetables ready yet, but I don't want the garden to get overgrown with weeds. I put all of the weeds that I pull into a pile to give to Lady later.

About twenty minutes later, I hear Madge call me inside. Caesar is just finishing up with Mrs. Everdeen as I walk in.

"Remember what you promised," she says as I take a seat at the table.

I shrug my shoulders. "I'll do what I can."

Then it's time. Caesar bounds up on stage and says, "Welcome back, folks! I hope you're ready for a rare treat. Now, I know what you're saying: 'Caesar, you've given us so many treats already today!' And I have. But you know me, I've got to save the best for last. And here she is, Katniss Everdeen!"

My heart gives a little lurch as she walks up on stage in a lace dress the color of a candle's flame. The swell of her stomach is unmistakable. They've made her up like she's one of the tributes in the Games. She's still beautiful, but it's not real. I prefer the real Katniss.

She takes a seat and looks at someone in the audience. I wonder who. But the camera doesn't show them.

Instead it zooms in closer and from the first question I know that Madge is going to be right. Damn her.

With each question Caesar asks and Katniss answers, I feel myself becoming more and more numb. She's lying. I know she's lying. I even know why she's lying. But it doesn't stop the intense feeling of hurt that jolts through me with each lie she tells.

I can even see the angle they're going to go for, good boy falls for a girl from the wrong part of town. I can even see how the story could be plausible. Katniss and Peeta would want to hide it because in Twelve the Merchants and Miners don't mix. And with both of their parents' histories it makes even more sense. The way they're spinning it, the way she's spinning it, a lot of people here might even fall for the lies.

I just can't believe that she'd let them twist things like this. Even for Prim's sake. But she is and it hurts. It hurts a lot.

Then there are the pictures. The ones that Peeta drew. I can see the care in each and every one of them. Peeta loves my Katniss and has loved her for a very long time. The detail he put into the sketches tells me this. Especially the one of her rubbing her belly. The way he captured my Katniss's face pulls at my heart. She loves our child. She may not have wanted it, but the look on her face tells me she loves it. I'm jealous that Peeta, of all people, got to see that expression on her face and not me.

The last part of the interview is pure agony for me. While I'm happy to know I'm going to have a daughter, everything else that happens just makes me sick. Even Katniss's auctioning off the right to name our child if Peeta and Prim come home bothers me. I know it's a ploy, a way to make the Capitol invested in seeing Peeta and Prim win, but I don't like her deciding my child's future like that. I'd hoped, even if we weren't together, she'd at least talk to me about what we'd name the child. Now even that's been taken from me.

The interview finishes, but I can't even bring myself to care. The screens shift into the honoring of the tributes who died and out of the corner of my eye, I see Madge lean over and turn the sound down.

I'm not even registering what's on the television. All I can see is Katniss's interview playing over and over again. I know Madge warned me, and I'd honestly thought I'd been prepared. I'm not. I'm not prepared at all.

"Gale?" I hear Madge ask me. "Are you alright?"

I don't respond. How does she expect me to be? Katniss has lied. Lied about who the father of our baby is. She lied about her relationship with that merchant. Every word, every action she did was a lie. And the Capitol bought every piece of it.

"I'm sorry," she says. "I didn't want to be right. I really didn't."

I still don't respond. She says she didn't want to be right. I want to believe her, but I can't. Everything that I once thought was real and true is a lie. The Katniss I knew would have never pretended to have a relationship with the baker's boy for any reason. She wouldn't pretend anything. It's one of the things I love about her. I don't know this made up Katniss that I saw tonight. She's not real. What she said isn't real.

"Gale? Please. Are you going to do something stupid?" Madge asks, reaching forward with one hand to touch my arm.

I know that the touch is supposed to be gentle, a gesture of sympathy, one she'd already done a few times since I've known her. But this time, it feels different. Like a restraint. And I don't like it.

All of a sudden, the numbness that had settled over me is swept away and a torrent of rage floods through me. "Get your hand off of me!" I growl.

She withdraws the offending appendage quickly. "Are you okay, Gale?"

I let out a short bark of laughter. "Am I okay?" I sneer. "What kind of question is that? Of course I'm not okay! How in hell am I supposed to be okay? My girl's just claimed that my baby is some damned merchant's! She's made herself sound like a whore, selling herself just to pay back two stupid loaves of bread! In what messed up world would that make me okay?"

Madge takes a step back at my rant. "Gale, you promised, no doing anything stupid."

"And what do you define as stupid? Because what I saw there," I say, motioning angrily at the screen, "is stupid. It's not stupid to counter stupidity!"

Her eyes narrow. "What are you planning on doing?"

"I don't see how that's any of your business." I get up from the table and head toward the front door.

She jumps in front of me. "Where are you going?"

"Get out of my way!"

"No," she says with a shake of her head. "Not until you tell me where you're going and what you're going to do."

My voice drops to a low growl. "Get. Out. Of. My. Way."

"No."

I try to push past her, but she stands her ground, blocking me with her body.

"I won't let you do this!" she says, trying to stare me down. "I'm not going to let you kill Katniss or Peeta or Prim just because of your stupid pride!"

The words hurt. They hurt a lot. Probably because I know deep down inside that they're true. "You don't know what you're talking about," I snarl.

Madge looks up at me, her eyes pleading with me to understand. "I know you're hurt. You have every right to be hurt. But please, please, for your baby, don't do whatever you're thinking of doing."

The mention of my daughter-to-be causes me to pause. She's an innocent in all of this. The Capitol may think that it's Peeta's but I know she's mine. I don't know what the Capitol would do to Katniss if they learned the truth. People have disappeared to who knows where for lesser offenses than letting the Capitol draw the wrong conclusions. They could see her lie of omission as treason, which is a hanging offense, and act accordingly. And chances are good that they wouldn't let her live long enough to give birth.

I stop trying to push past Madge and take a step back.

The Mayor's daughter watches me warily. She probably thinks I'm trying to get her to let down her guard so I can force my way past her. And for once, she's wrong.

I get it now. I'm still angry, but I can't act on my anger. If Katniss were here, I could yell at her. If Peeta were here, I could punch him. But that's the problem, they're not here and there's no one I can take out my anger on. Except Madge.

"I'm sorry."

The words seem to startle her and she gives me a funny look. "Gale?"

I sit down heavily in one of the Everdeens' chairs and stare down at my hands. Everything I've ever wanted is gone now. It doesn't matter what happens the rest of the Games, in one fell swoop the Capitol has made it impossible for Katniss and me to be together and raise a family together. Even if Peeta dies, especially if Peeta dies, they'll expect her to remain in mourning for the boy with the bread for the rest of her life.

I don't know what to do.

I didn't realize I'd said the words aloud until Madge says, "Nothing stupid, you promised me that."

I look up at her, not even bothering to hide the emotions I'm feeling from my face. "I'm not sure I know what's stupid anymore."

She kneels down in front of me and takes my hands. "Well, that's what you have me for, right? If you want to know if something's stupid or not, you just ask me and I'll tell you."

"So you're the expert, huh?" I ask ruefully.

"I wouldn't say that," she says with a small shake of her head. "But I'm a lot less close to the problem. So that helps."

I think about that for moment then say, "I don't think I should go home tonight." I don't explain why. I'm not sure I can. I just have this feeling that if people get angry on my behalf without someone to stop me from boiling over that I'll end up trying to break into the Mellark Bakery in my anger or possibly do something worse, like call the Capitol and tell them the truth.

Madge doesn't push me, to my relief. Instead she asks, "Do you want to stay here?"

"Where else can I go?" I ask rhetorically.

But somehow I'm not surprised when she answers me anyway, "We've got a guest room, if you'd rather stay someplace else. My parents will understand."

I shake my head. I don't need other people seeing me like this. It's bad enough that Madge has, I'm not sure I could stand the Mayor seeing me without my mask.

She nods her head. "Do you want me to stay with you?" she asks me instead.

Her words, so gentle and kind, touch me in a way I don't expect. I can't speak around the knot of emotion that's settled itself in my throat and the tears I didn't even know I was holding back start to roll down my cheeks. I let out a broken sob and crumple in on myself, slipping out of the chair and onto the floor.

I feel Madge put her arms around my shoulder and I turn my head to bury it in the folds of her skirt, muffling my sobs.

I cry for the girl I lost. For the girl I never had. For the family that will never be mine. But most of all I cry for myself, for the man I used to be.

**oOo**

* * *

**AN:**

Written: 12/31/13  
Revised: 1/7/13  
Beta read by RoseFyre.

So, we finally get to the chapter everyone's been waiting for. I hope it satisfies.

Gale's going through the stages of grief in regards to his relationship with Katniss. He's been trapped in a combo of Denial and Anger for a while with some Bargaining going on. He's finally slipped out of those first three stages and into Depression. Which, believe it or not, is progress. You'll be seeing more of that as we move on.

I am going to state right now that Forgotten will have 10 chapters. I have them outlined and they are going to be fairly important for the future of this little universe.

Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: The Hunger Games Trilogy is property of Suzanne Collins. This is a parody fanwork by fans for fans. No money was made off of the creation of this fanwork.

Note: This is Gale's side story which takes place in the same universe and runs concurrently to my story "Spectator." You will likely want to read that fic first since I will be making reference to the events that take place in it. This chapter takes place after some of the events in Chapter Twenty Three. This story will be updated biweekly on Tuesdays. There may be times when I won't totally adhere to this schedule, it will depend on where the main fic is in its storyline. But even if I miss a week, my update day will still remain a Tuesday.

**Forgotten**

**_By Fanfic Allergy_**

**oOo**

**Chapter Five**

I never make it home. Instead, Madge holds me until I fall asleep in her arms. I dream about Katniss walking down the aisle on President Snow's arm to a waiting Peeta. The look on Katniss's face is pure terror while President Snow looks pleased with himself. The officiant gets to the part where the audience is asked to speak now or forever hold their peace and I open my mouth to protest when I see Madge dressed in something frivolous and clearly Capitol made shaking her head at me. The message is clear and the words I want to say stay frozen in my throat. So I just watch as the woman I've always loved marries another.

The dream is so real that when I wake up several hours later, I have to blink a few times to make sure I'm not still dreaming. I notice that sometime during the night, Madge has extricated herself from my grasp and covered me with a blanket. I'm supremely grateful for this since I don't like people seeing me when I'm vulnerable and Madge has already gotten an eyeful of me at my worst.

I scan the room to find Madge curled up on the bed that Katniss shares with Prim. She's not under the covers and I can tell that she's cold. I pick up the blanket that she covered me with and place it over her.

Or at least I try to, the moment I get to my feet Madge's eyes snap open. I never would have pegged the Mayor's daughter as a light sleeper but the proof is right in front of me. I hold out the blanket to her with a questioning expression on my face.

She shakes her head and sits up. "What time is it?" she asks.

I look at the clock on the shelf over the television and answer, "Almost five."

The girl makes a face. "I should get home before my parents realize I've been out all night."

I don't know what to say. She's likely gotten herself in trouble because of me and there's nothing I can do to fix that. Sorry doesn't seem to cut it and I hate apologizing.

She gives me a look I can't quite make out and says, "Are you going to be okay if I leave you here?"

I know what she's asking and a few hours ago I would have lied. Now I know better. "I'm not about to storm the Justice Building at the moment. Although I can't guarantee I won't snap if someone says the wrong thing, but I'm not going to go looking for trouble."

"Fair enough," she says with a shrug. "So, are we still on for hunting and gathering?"

"I don't know, are we?"

"We should be," she says decisively. "There's still no guarantee that Peeta and Prim are going to win although their chances are better now."

"Yeah," I mutter. I don't want to think about what improved Prim and the baker boy's status but Madge is right, even with the improved chances it will still take a lot for them to win.

"So what time should I meet you?" she wants to know.

"How about a couple of hours from now?" I ask.

She makes a face but nods. I'm guessing she didn't get a lot of sleep and was hoping to sneak a nap in. I almost offer to make it later in the day, but hold off. Setting snares and nets is best done first thing in the morning. She can nap in the woods later. I'll just remember to bring a blanket with me.

Madge leaves me alone in Katniss's house and I find myself wandering the small shack. There are only two rooms, a main room and a bedroom, and I wonder how Katniss will deal with having a baby in this small place. My house isn't much better with two bedrooms and a main room. When I get a job in the mines, I'm entitled to a house in the Seam. I'd always planned on saving what money I could so that I could afford better than the one bedroom houses that they give new miners. Now, I'm not so sure.

I straighten up the place and put the blanket back on Katniss's bed. I should get home myself.

It's going to be a long day.

**oOo**

My mother is awake when I finally get home. She's sitting at the kitchen table cradling a mug of tea. I can tell from the dark circles under her eyes that she's been up all night waiting for me. A jolt of guilt races through me.

She doesn't bother yelling, that isn't her style, instead she raises an eyebrow and looks me over critically.

I run my fingers through my hair nervously and feel the inevitable pinwheel that I always get when I wake up in the morning. "I'm sorry," I say preemptively.

She nods, accepting my apology. "Where did you sleep?"

There isn't any point to lying so I tell her the truth. "At Katniss's. I didn't feel like I could be around people safely."

"Probably for the best," she says with another nod. "Rory was pretty upset for you."

"I figured he would be. Madge made sure I didn't do anything to endanger the Everdeens."

"Madge is it?" my mother asks, raising an eyebrow at me.

"She's a friend," I say defensively and I am surprised to realize the statement is true. After last night, Madge is definitely a friend but I'm not sure how I feel about that. I've always scoffed at and derided merchants and now one is my friend. It's weird to say the least.

I'm not the only one who finds this odd. My mother gives me an incredulous look. "A friend?" The way she says it makes me think that she feels that I'm lying.

I sit down across from her at the table heavily. "Yeah. A friend. Nothing else. I'm still not over Katniss, besides she's a merchant."

"I'm aware of that. I'm just surprised."

I snort. "You're not the only one. Just think how I feel!"

She pats my hand sympathetically, then yawns. "If you're not in trouble, I suppose I can finally go to bed. Are you going out again today?" she asks, getting up from the table.

I nod. "Yeah. The plan hasn't changed even though the story has."

She bobs her head. "When are you going to go sign up for the mines?"

Another frisson of guilt goes through me. We'd discussed me entering the mines as soon as my last reaping passed. We need the money and my wages would be better than what I make in trade. Even if I continue to save up for better housing, what I'll make is still able to buy more than what Rory would get for tesserae. The mines are mostly closed during the Games, but there's always a skeleton crew working to provide fuel for the district. If I'd joined right after the Reaping, I could have asked to be on that skeleton crew and started drawing a salary.

"I can go today," I tell her. "After I finish setting snares with Madge."

My mother raises her eyebrow at me again but doesn't comment about my companion. Instead she says, "Good. We could use the extra."

"I don't plan on starting until after the Games," I warn her.

"We should have enough to keep us going. But Posy's starting to outgrow her shoes and Vick needs new pants. He split them something awful the other day and they're about done."

Considering that they're my old pants from when I was his age and they've already been handed down from me to Rory and now to Vick, I'm not surprised that he needs new ones. They were pretty heavily used when I outgrew them. "I'll try to do some trading at the Hob for material."

"Do that," she tells me and goes to the bedroom she shares with Posy.

I make a simple breakfast for my siblings, tesserae porridge, and wash up. There's no point in taking a full bath until after I come back from the woods, but I should take one before I go to the Justice Building and sign up for the mines.

A little over an hour later, I'm on my way to the Mayor's house to meet Madge. We'd decided not to meet at the fence today, my suggestion since it gave her a little extra time to take a nap.

When I get there, I knock on the kitchen door. It opens but it's not Madge on the other side.

It's the Mayor.

He motions for me to come in and I do so reluctantly.

Once inside, he looks me up and down. "Should I be concerned about my daughter?" he asks me after a few seconds.

"I'm not sure what you mean?" I say slowly.

"Madge assures me her virtue is intact around you, but I'm a father. I'm sure you understand my predicament."

I do. I've often thought about what I'll do when Posy is old enough to start attracting the attention of the opposite sex. I've been looking forward to intimidating the boys who are interested in her. So I can see the Mayor's point of view, even though I'm not interested in Madge in that way. "She's a friend. Nothing more."

He fixes me with a stern look that I'll have to remember for my Posy boyfriend intimidation later. "And how can I be sure you're not lying?"

It's a fair question and while it rankles being interrogated like this by a merchant, I tolerate it for Madge's sake. "You can't," I answer honestly, "but you should trust your daughter, sir. You raised her. You should know if she's telling the truth or not."

He laughs. "You don't know my girl all that well, do you?"

"Not really," I reply. "She was always more Katniss's friend. This whole having a merchant friend is new to me."

"Does that bother you, Gale?"

I shouldn't be surprised that he knows my name. But I am. "It did at first," I admit. "But Madge has got a way about her."

"That she does. She's like her Aunt Maysilee that way."

I don't know who this Maysilee is so I keep my mouth shut.

The mayor changes the subject. "So what are you planning on doing now that you've celebrated your last Reaping?" he asks me.

I give him a bit of an incredulous glance, what does he think I'm going to do? There's pretty much only one career path open for me. The mines. And I tell him so. "I'm going to sign up to go into the mines, sir. In fact, I'm going to go do that later today."

A flash of some emotion flits across the Mayor's face. "Have you considered not going into the mines?" he asks.

A spark of anger starts to ignite in my belly. Of course I've considered not going into the mines. I'd love to run away into the woods and just live out there. But I've got a family to provide for and I refuse to have Rory, Vick, or Posy take out tesserae to survive. I don't have any choice but to go into the mines. I want to tell the Mayor this, but something has me holding my tongue. Instead, I ask, "And do what, sir? I need to make a living to support my family."

"Of course you do," he says, "but there are other options than the mines."

I try not to let my frustration show in my voice, but I'm not totally successful. "Like what?"

He seems ready for the question. "You could work in town."

"Doing what?" I ask, unable to keep the suspicion out of my voice.

The Mayor ignores it. "You could work for me." I start to protest but he holds up a hand. "It's not charity. I need a new assistant. I typically have three but one just retired so I'm short one. I think you'd do a good job."

"Excuse me if this is impertinent, but why me?" I ask. "Because it sure as hell seems like charity to me."

The Mayor laughs and motions for me to take a seat at the kitchen counter. "It's really quite simple, most of my staff in the past have been from the town."

I refuse to sit down and instead cross my arms. "So? You're not telling me anything I don't already know."

"See? That attitude?" He motions to me with his hands. "That's part of the problem."

I know I've got an attitude, Katniss and Madge have pointed that out enough. "What do you mean?" I ask, narrowing my eyes.

"We're one district, but we're divided into two parts. Seam and Merchant. It's not right. And we really should do something about it."

It's not what I was expecting. "And what should we be doing?"

"See, that's the problem. I don't know." He sits down at the counter and looks at me. "I admit it, I haven't really been paying attention to over half of my charges and that's my failing. There are just some things they don't tell you when you become Mayor, how to deal with a divided district is one of them."

"I'm not sure I understand."

"Yes, you do," he tells me. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. This district is divided Seam and Merchant. It's rare for someone from the Seam to be friendly with someone from town and vice versa. We don't talk. We don't work together. And that's not right. I want to do something about it."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Something." He fixes me with an earnest look that reminds me of Madge. "That's why I need your help."

"Doing what?" I want to know.

"Not much at first. I'll need to show you the ropes and get you familiar with the paperwork and job duties. But once that's done, I want you to act as an ambassador to the Seam and tell me about the people's problems. There's not a lot I can do, but I want to do what I can."

His words are so earnest, I find myself believing him. "So how much does this so-called-job pay?" I'd like to not work in the mines, but I've got a family to support.

The Mayor seems to understand that because he says, "It'd be about eighty coin a month to start. I know you could make more in the mines, but you'd only be working a half day for a few months and only five days a week."

"Why?" He's right, I could make one hundred coin a month if I worked in the mines but they're twelve hour days, six days a week, in dark and dangerous conditions. Eighty coin for a half a day is still better than what I'd make hunting and gathering. But it seems almost too good to be true and I've learned to distrust things that seem too good.

Nodding his head at my question, the Mayor answers, "First off, the Capitol doesn't work on Saturday or Sunday unless there's an emergency. You'll be on call all the time, but it's not normal hours. Secondly, I'm expecting you to continue your education. You're going to need to learn about the laws and forms and politics of Panem. And you're going to need to do that on your own time. Some of the books and papers can't go outside of the Justice Building or my office here, so you'll be spending a lot of time not at home. But before you say no, there is a benefit for you." He gives me a look that reminds me of Madge. "And for Katniss," he adds as if I knew what he was talking about.

I don't and I say so. "What benefit?"

"When you register for the mines, they take a genetic sample to identify you if something were to happen."

Like if I were killed in an explosion like my father was. "So?"

"That paperwork and result gets sent to the Capitol for safekeeping and is flagged up for review." He gives me another pointed glance.

I'm still not getting it.

It must show on my face because the man sighs. "They did tests on the baby, Gale. That's how they know it is a girl. They know other things too."

And then it hits me. They know that Peeta isn't the father of Katniss's baby but they don't know I am. Yet. "They'll know the truth soon enough," I say.

"But not too soon. It may not matter in the long run. But, better safe than sorry," he says with a shrug.

It's strange to think that in his way, the Mayor is protecting me. I don't know what the Capitol would do if they found out I was the father of Katniss's child. They might kill me to keep up the fiction and a mine accident is easy to stage. They might hold my existence over Katniss as a way to make her cooperate. It's likely they already have. The Mayor's offer protects me in much the same way that Madge's discussion with the Peacekeeper protected me. It still feels like charity and I say so.

"It's not charity. It's really not. You're my daughter's friend. One of the few she has. That matters to me."

"So Madge put you up to this," I state flatly.

"No," he corrects me firmly. "It's my decision. Madge didn't suggest anything."

"Pardon me for saying so, sir, but you're lying."

He smirks. "And you wonder why I want you to be my assistant. I need someone who can see through the bullshit that I get on a daily basis and see the meat of what's actually going on. Consider it a way to say 'screw you' to the Capitol. It's a lot more satisfying than slipping under the fence for a few hours."

The fact that he knows about my daily excursions beyond the fence shouldn't surprise me but it does. I still know better than to acknowledge his words though. "So when do you want me to start?" I ask instead.

If anything his smirk widens. "How does tomorrow sound?"

**oOo**

**AN:**

Written: 1/14/14  
Revised: 1/21/14  
Beta read by Rosefyre

So... I bet you didn't see that coming now did you!

Thanks for reading!


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